Here is one moon phase activity school teachers can do. In science classes the moon is a favorite topic because observing the moon can be a fun learning experience for students.

Instructional Objectives: Students will understand the different phases of the moon.

Materials: pencil, binoculars, moon chart or notebook

Time: 29 nights

Explanation for children on doing the activity

Before you begin, you will need a very clear, night sky, a notebook, a soft drawing pencil, a pair of binoculars, and a moon chart. To prepare for this moon phase lesson, you have to choose the right time. The best time is during a full moon. The patterns on the moon are much easier to see and this is also the time you can see the crater part of the moon best. Quarter moon phases are also a good time to view the moon as the craters and mountains cast shadows that you can't see at other times.

Observing the Moon's Surface

Except for glancing at the moon now and then most of us never think about the moon surface and how it is seen from earth. For instance, we may think that the moon changes color, but in reality it doesn't. The change of color that we see totally depends on the atmosphere of the earth.

To get started on the activity, record the date, write a brief description of how much of the moon you see and draw a picture of it. Take your pencil and draw in the dark areas and light areas; try smudging the pencil mark to even out the areas. Do this while using your binoculars. This way you can see more details of the moon. Pick another day to repeat this experiment and before long you will see the wonderful differences of the moon surface.

Learning the Moon Phase

Each day as students draw in the differing amounts of the moon that they can see, they start to develop a series of drawings showing all the different phases of the moon. At the end of the 29 day cycle, when they all bring their charts and notebooks back to class, the teacher can generate a discussion of why this moon phase activity occurs. This can lead into learning the different names for each phase- such as waxing moon and crescent moon. The students can compare their drawings with the calendar for that month and determine whether they were correct. Most calendars tell when the phases of the moon will occur. This in turn can lead into predictions of when the various moon phases will occur during the following month.